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Supercomputers are becoming more accessible as hardware costs fall and data become more readily available. Experts say the trend promises to open the world of supercomputing to more small organizations and individuals, increasing opportunities for research in a variety of fields.

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IT departments are proving more receptive to integrated vendors services that entail less hardware, according to a survey by InformationWeek. Single vendors may offer attractive features stemming from integrated management, networking and storage, but the trend may prove negative in the long run, since it could make it harder to switch vendors down the line, Art Wittmann argues.

Justin Rattner, Intel's chief technology officer, says the chip maker is exploring multicore processing techniques that could lead to the production of low-price "data centers on chips." Rattner notes the company also is collaborating with companies such as Microsoft and Cisco to develop new architecture that promises to enhance cloud security in the coming years.

Companies such as Cisco and Hewlett-Packard are positioning themselves to profit from increasing demand in the market for single-vendor networking, servers and storage. Art Wittmann writes the moves raise questions about some trends in data center management, including the movement toward cloud computing.

CompTIA President Todd Thibodeaux says IT companies increasingly will be able to draw on lessons learned in the consumer-electronics arena as the markets grow closer. He highlights CompTIA's efforts to help vendors enhance their business and marketing strategies through collaboration, education and advocacy.

The White House, which recently adopted open-source software to run its Web site, is calling on developers to apply some of their efforts to "the public good" and come up with ways to work more effectively with federal agencies.